The Republika Srpska entity National Assembly (RSNA) adopted the Amendments to the Criminal Code of the RS criminalizing defamation and prescribing severe penalties for revealing personal and family circumstances, without clearly indicating the public interest in the law.

Of the 63 MPs present, 47 voted in favour, 16 were against and there were no abstentions to these amendments.

Journalists, representatives of the opposition and civil society organizations warned for months that it is harmful and dangerous to return defamation from civil law to criminal law.

On several occasions, even this week, they protested, and representatives of the ruling majority were unsuccessfully asked not to adopt the controversial changes to the Criminal Code, as this would lead to the persecution of journalists and the suppression of free reporting and public speech not only in Bosnia’s RS entity but throughout the country.

The European Union also noted that the law is not in accordance with Bosnia’s pre-accession path for EU membership.

Should the law be adopted in the RS Council of Peoples, it will become valid and thus come into force.